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1953 blueprint of the AK-47 by American CIA agent

In 1953, the legendary AK-47 assault rifle was once a state secret. Until a CIA agent told his memories of the AK-47

In April of 1953, the Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) received its first report of what would become the most recognized weapon of the 20th century: the AK-47 assault rifle. Within twenty years, the mysterious “submachine gun” sighted on the outskirts of Leningrad would spread worldwide, carried by soldiers, guerrillas, and terrorists from East Germany to Angola

The CIA report (PDF), dated April 29, 1953 was originally discovered by Kalashnikov Media and picked up by The Firearm Blog. The report was made by a CIA agent who had rare pleasing access to the previously unknown weapon, particularly given the level of secrecy around it. The agent’s identity and other information were redacted from the report before the CIA opened its archives January 2017 to the public.

According to the agent, the new gun was spotted careied by soldiers belonging to the Red Army’s Krasnoselskiy Guards of the Order of Alexander Nevsky Regiment (today part of the Russian Army’s famous 2nd Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Division). The rifle was being carried by more experienced and war-hardened soldiers, while newer soldiers and conscripts were still issued the wartime PPSh submachine guns.